Our future president should be leading the discussion about the future of retirement

August 09, 2016

Aging is the forgotten megatrend.

This presidential election cycle, perhaps the closest watched in history, has lacked any meaningful discussion of the pressing issues related to longevity and retirement. That’s a shame because issues that candidates choose to talk about can move the needle on public awareness, which is a step toward action.

Look no further than Donald Trump’s rants on immigration and the threat of terrorism. He has commanded a lot of attention being outspoken on these issues, now widely seen as among the nation’s most urgent concerns. Almost half of Americans name the threat of terrorism as our biggest problem and nearly a quarter cite immigration, according to a Personal Capital survey.

Imagine if the candidates harped on the savings and retirement crisis. Even though 20% of Americans have no retirement savings, only 8% list retirement security as a top concern, the survey found. The Government Accountability Office has found that about half of all households near retirement age have zero retirement savings and no pension other than Social Security.